Wireless service providers typically design their wireless networks to comprise a number of partially-overlapping wireless coverage areas. Each wireless coverage area may include multiple sectors. As a wireless communication device (WCD) that is subscribed to the wireless service provider moves about, these wireless networks may hand off the WCD from one sector to another. A goal of performing handoffs is to provide a substantially continuous wireless coverage to the WCD, so that any communication sessions conducted by the WCD are not dropped or degraded due to poor wireless coverage or loss of wireless coverage.
In order to facilitate smooth handoffs, the WCD may simultaneously receive multiple copies of the same bearer data (e.g., voice or data) from more than one sector. The sectors from which the WCD receives this bearer data make up the WCD's active set, and the sectors in the active set may vary as the WCD moves about and/or the quality of the signals the WCD receives from these sectors changes. In general, the more sectors in a WCD's active set and the greater the strength of signals the WCD receives from these sectors, the better the WCD's wireless coverage. Thus, careful management of a WCD's active set may allow a wireless service provider to offer a superior wireless coverage to the WCD.